Toad Tadpole with back legs

[YogaFrog]

Hello! I have had a tadpole for almost 3 weeks, and I am 99.9% sure it is a toad (either american, fowler's, oak, or southern based on the ones native here in Alabama). His name is Wasabi, and he has been doing great! I am amazed almost every time I check on him, he is changing so fast! I have a few different foods I have been giving to him, some spirulina/veggie tablets, HBH frog and tadpole tablets (I rotate which one i put in his tank, I don't add too much at a time), and there is a rock with some algae growing on it (from where we found him) that he has been munching and perching on. The rock also is sloped so some of it is out of the water. Based on how long his back legs are, I have a feeling the front legs are coming soon. I realize this is a critical time, and I don't want to screw it up! Should I be feeding him something live yet? I read he won't eat while he is absorbing his tail, is this true? Can anyone give me some general advice for this time? When I see his front legs pop out, how long after should I alter his habitat (dropping the water line and making some land)? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks

[kueluck]

Keep feeding just as you are now. How many inches of water do you have and what size tank?

[YogaFrog]

Keep feeding just as you are now. How many inches of water do you have and what size tank?

The tank is an exo terra version critter tank (the medium one with two handles) and I only have a couple inches of spring water that I change every other day.

[YogaFrog]

Btw, I have a 10 gallon tank waiting for when it is ready for a real habitat...kind of waiting to be sure of the species so I can set it up right...

[kueluck]

The front legs will come in one at a time. Once the first one comes in make land area for it to climb out on. Make sure you have an ample supply of food ready like flightless fruit flies before it totally resorbs it's tail. Mine actually started to eat the FF while it still had a nubbin.

[YogaFrog]

What type of substrate should I use for the land while it is still aquatic? Eventually, I plan on using top soil in the 10 gallon tank and have a water dish and moss. But I feel like soil would just turn in to a muddy puddle if I tried to use it to create land. What do you think?

[kueluck]

Use some tiny smooth stones or aquarium gravel. Just make sure it's clean and don't use tap water to rinse it off. I'll post a picture tonight after work to show you what is working for me right now for the little ones I have.

[YogaFrog]

Great, thanks!

[kueluck]

Here's the pics of the toadlet set up. These guys are tiny, but eating the ff. The arm on the first toadlet is fine, it was just tucked under the body in the shot. The tank is a 2.5 gallon with a pair of panty hose to keep the ff inside. If you use moss from outside just make sure that all bugs are removed. One ant bit would put a hurtin' on these little ones.

[YogaFrog]

Hey! My little Wadabi is already a toadlet! His tail is just a little nub. I wrote another post freaking out about substrate, but then I remembered your pictures. So i went to whole foods and got the brown unbleached paper towels. He keeps sitting up on a perch though and i am worried about him getting too dry. I have some moss for humidity and the paper towels are damp. And do your little guys go for the fruit flies right away or do you leave them alone for a while? Thanks!

[kueluck]

You will need to mist the paper towel and have a tiny water dish for them to soak in. I use a pill bottle top cut down small enough so they can jump in and out. I have 2 containers and swap them out every other day since I have 10 toadlets and it just makes it easier. As for FF I dust with calcium one day, then multivitamin the next, then the third day no dusting. Then start over again. Some times they go for them right away, other times they ignore them. But I love watching them do their kung foo kicks on the FF when they crawl on them. Also don't spray the sides since they can then climb the water and it can be a big fall for a tiny toadlet. Yes I baby them. Also remember these are toads, they prefer their climate dryer than frogs do.


Post some pictures, I would love to see your little one.

[YogaFrog]

Thanks for all your help!! I definitely feel better about his habitat, but am concerned about his not eating. I have put couple fruit flies in and he hasn't touched them. And he has had them crawling around right in front of his face. I have seen him stick his tongue out randomly a couple of times since he morphed, but it doesn't go out very far (or it is just too fast for me to really see). I am only concerned because of how small and skinny he looks. I wonder if maybe the fruit flies are too big. Here are some pics...if you enlarge them, you can see the dates. In the first pic, Wasabi is the one on the bottom. The other one didn't really develop and started looking sickly so I released it (would rather it die in its natural habitat). Wasabi thrived as a tadpole and he was always eating. But in the last picture he looks so skinny!! I am worried!

[kueluck]

Don't worry, the toadlet looks GREAT!! Put about 10 dusted FF in at night and see what is left in the am. Also if you see poop you know something is going in, and the paper towel is great for this.

[YogaFrog]

Okay, good! Actually, when I changed the paper towel I noticed something the looked like a single uncooked rice only dark brown...I assume that is poop. And I just read (on another site) that they contract their eyes to assist in swallowing, and I noticed him doing that when I put the flies in...so maybe he slurped in a fly while I blinked haha. Perhaps he has eaten, and I just need to do a better job of counting the flies so I know for sure. Thank yo so much! I have grown so attached to him, I jus want to make sure he is ok! I too baby anything that is my responsibility

[nicodimus22]

Copied directly from the toad care sheet on this site:

"Paper towel contains bleaching agents, unless explicitly stated to not contain them - these can be harmful to toads and frogs."

Also, toads like to dig, and they can't do that with paper towel.

[kueluck]

That’s why unbleached paper towels are being used. And for newly morphed toad tads this works best. When feeding FF to toadlets that are the size of a cooked grain of rice, substrate is not good, they will ingest the substrate along with the FF. I’ve been through this stage before.

Copied directly from the toad care sheet on this site:

"Paper towel contains bleaching agents, unless explicitly stated to not contain them - these can be harmful to toads and frogs."

Also, toads like to dig, and they can't do that with paper towel.

[YogaFrog]

@Pete I realize they like to dig, I have done plenty of research and have read the care sheets. I have coconut fiber substrate waiting in his permanent 10 gallon home. But you should see this tiny guy trying to walk through that stuff! It sticks all over him, and it makes it hard for him to get around. And I bought the brown, unbleached paper towels from Whole Foods. I change them every day, and keep them moist with fresh spring water. He has a super shallow dish to soak and I have provided plenty of hides. And he is doing great! I do appreciate your concern for my little guy. Thanks.

[YogaFrog]

@Gail He is doing great! He is growing and eating! He is smart too. When I open the top, he hops up onto his highest perch and stares at me expectantly hahaha I have seen him eat, and it is amazing! His little tongue is so cute. I can see he is eating plenty, he has the toady plumpness in his little belly. Thank yo for all the great advice! And the paper towels are working of great. Makes finding his poop and keeping it clean easy. He seems very happy

[kueluck]

Happy for ya. I have 10 of these little critters and they are little eatin' & poopin' machines. Gotta love the toad!!

[kueluck]

So how's the baby doing?